The PR Girl Watchlist Is Getting Slightly Too Accurate
I’m convinced every girl who works in PR, branding, fashion marketing, social media, publishing, or honestly just enjoys sending “per my last email” with restrained rage eventually develops the same taste in television. And no, it’s not because these shows are “aspirational.” Half of them are literally stress documentaries disguised as entertainment. But there’s something weirdly addictive about watching beautiful people professionally panic inside glass office buildings while a brand collapses in real time. Also, some of these shows understand media culture a little too well now.
The Bold Type — still deserves its spot because the journalist-versus-PR tension feels painfully real, even when the outfits look suspiciously expensive for their salaries.
Mad Men — obviously remains unmatched when it comes to branding psychology and manipulation. Every episode feels like watching someone sell a cigarette with the emotional intensity of a Shakespeare monologue.
But honestly the newer additions are where things start getting interesting.
The Morning Show — less “fun media drama” and more a reminder that public image now matters almost more than talent. Everyone is managing perception every second.
Succession — should honestly be mandatory viewing for anyone entering corporate communications because it perfectly captures how powerful people speak in circles while entire companies quietly combust behind them.
Optics — might be the most accurate PR show purely because nobody actually knows what’s happening half the time. It captures that specific agency chaos where one client email can ruin your nervous system before breakfast.
Working Moms — weirdly gets this too. Underneath the comedy it understands how exhausting modern “girlboss” culture actually became.
Also can we be honest for a second? A lot of these career shows accidentally glamorized burnout for years. They made sleeping under your desk look ambitious instead of deeply concerning. That’s probably why newer audiences connect more to shows where the characters are visibly overwhelmed, messy, making questionable choices, and barely holding their personal lives together between campaigns and crisis calls. It feels closer to reality now. The fantasy isn’t perfection anymore. It’s competence under pressure while your Slack notifications slowly destroy your peace.